West Hills College Farm of the Future ESRI ArcGIS

West Hills CollegeFarm of the FutureESRI ArcGIS

West Hills CollegeFarm of the Future

Course Introduction

• You benefit from GIS software every day– Regular delivery of your morning newspaper– Synchronization of traffic lights– Convenient location of your favorite park

• All over the world, organizations are using GIS to – Manage the environment– Work more efficiently– Provide better customer service– Save money


Course Introduction

• This course introduces the fundamental concepts of GIS and the major functionality contained in ArcGIS® Desktop software.

• In the interactive course exercises, you will work with a variety of ArcGIS tools as you learn how to – create maps– find information– create and edit geographic data– solve a variety of geographic problems

• By the end of this course, you should feel comfortable working with ArcGIS Desktop software on your own


Learning Objectives

• Explore a GIS map and get information about map features

• Preview geographic data and metadata• Add data to a map• Describe the structure of a GIS map• Explain how a GIS represents real-world objects • Change the way features are drawn on a map • Access feature information in different ways• Describe spatial relationships of map features • Describe how GIS can be used to solve

problems


ArcGIS

• In a GIS, data about real-world objects is linked to an onscreen map.

• Geographic features are drawn quickly and can be displayed using different information in the database.

• ArcGIS® is the name of the family of ESRI's software solution programs.

• While the depth of functionality in ArcGIS is tremendous, as you'll see, it takes a friendly approach to GIS with easy-to-use tools that help you through the most complicated of tasks.

• This module provides an overview of basic GIS concepts and standard ArcGIS functions, while remaining modules provide more in-depth information.


Exploring a GIS Map

• What's the difference between a GIS map and a static paper or electronic map? – GIS maps are dynamic.

• While you can look at a static map and see where features are located and even measure approximate distances between them, you can't do much more than that.

• With a GIS map, however, you are in charge. – You can zoom in and out to see different areas with

more or less detail– You can decide what features you want to see and how

they are symbolized– Most importantly, you can access a database of

information about all the features shown on the map


Exploring ArcGIS Desktop

• ArcGIS Desktop is a scalable product that includes three license levels– ArcView®– ArcEditor™– ArcInfo®



• All three software products look and work the same– They differ only in how much they can do.

• ArcEditor does more than ArcView, and ArcInfo does more than ArcEditor.

• This course teaches ArcView, but – everything you learn applies to all three

products– and you can complete all course exercises

using any of the three. • All ArcGIS Desktop products can share the

same map documents and data.



• Each ArcGIS Desktop product includes two applications: ArcMap and ArcCatalog™.

• ArcMap– The application you work with to explore and

analyze data and make maps • ArcCatalog

– The application you work with to manage data • ArcToolbox™

– An integrated application that contains many tools for GIS tasks.

• You can access ArcToolbox from both ArcMap and ArcCatalog.


Excercise

• Plan a Trip to San Diego


How is a GIS Map Organized?

• A GIS map consists of one or more data frames

• A data frame contains a collection of thematic layers.

• Layers, in turn, contain a collection of features that represent real-world objects.



• On a GIS map, features have a location, shape, and a symbol.

• Features grouped into a layer have the same shape and characteristics and are located within the same geographic extent.

• To make a GIS map, you can add as many layers as you want.



• These four layers might be used by a city government to create a GIS map.

• The layers all contain features located within the city's boundaries, but each one represents a distinct "theme."

• The layers are drawn on top of each other to create an informative GIS map.


Representing the Real World

• In the real world, geographic objects have a wide variety of shapes.

• In a GIS map, geographic objects are primarily represented as point, line, and polygon features.


Representing the Real World

• In this map of South America– Countries are represented as

polygons– Rivers are represented as lines– Cities are points

• Each feature shape has its own unique set of characteristics. – The geometry type used to

represent an object depends on the amount of detail that needs to be shown

– The same object may be represented as a polygon in one layer and a point in another layer.


Points

• Composed of one coordinate pair representing a specific location on the earth's surface.

• Used for objects too small to be polygons, such as cities, trees, and hospitals.


Lines

• A sequence of two or more coordinate pairs.

• Has length, while polygons have two intrinsic values, perimeter and area.

• Represent objects too narrow to be polygons, such as streets, rivers, and telephone lines.


Polygons

• Composed of one or more lines whose starting and ending coordinate pairs are the same.

• Have two intrinsic values– Perimeter– Area

• Represent objects large enough to have boundaries, such as – Countries– Building footprints– Lakes


Linking Features to Information

• On a GIS map, there's more to a feature than its location and shape. – There's all the information associated with

that feature. • For a road, this might include its name,

speed limit, and whether it's one-way or two-way.

• For a city, this might include its population, demographic characteristics, number of schools, and average monthly temperatures.



• A particular type, or category, of information associated with a feature in a GIS is called an attribute. – For example, population can be an attribute of

a city, country, continent, and other features. • Feature attributes are stored in an attribute

table.• In an attribute table, each feature is a

record (row) and each attribute is a column, or field.

• The attributes for all the features in a layer are stored in the same attribute table.



• This attribute table for a layer of cities stores each feature's – ID number– Shape– Name – Country in which it's

located – Status


Linking Feature to Information

• A feature on a GIS map is linked to its record in the attribute table by a unique numerical identifier (ID).

• Every feature in a layer has an identifier.



• Because features on the map are linked to their records in the table– you can click a feature on the map and

see the attributes stored for it in the table.

• When you select a record in the table, the linked feature on the map is automatically selected as well.



• In this map of India, the city of Bombay is selected.

• Its record is also selected in the attribute table.

• The unique identifier for Bombay is stored in the FID field.



• Links between features and attributes make it possible to ask questions about the information stored in an attribute table and display the answer on the map.

• This linkage makes GIS maps much more informative than static maps.


Understanding Map Scale

• Scale is the relationship between the size of features on a map and the size of the corresponding objects in the real world.

• Scale is commonly expressed as a ratio, or representative fraction, such as 1:24,000.

• This scale means one unit on the map is equal to 24,000 units on the earth.

• Another way of thinking about it is that the objects on the earth are 24,000 times larger than the features on the map which represent them.



• You will commonly see references to two types of maps: – Large-scale

• Covers a small area in more detail• i.e. a map of city streets or a building plan

– Small-scale• Covers a large area in less detail• i.e a world map,.

• GIS maps are dynamic—you can change the scale to see more or less detail as desired.



• Map on the left– Large scale– A small area of the

earth's surface (the city of San Diego, California)

– Features such as roads are visible.

• Map on the right– Small scale– Bigger area of the

earth's surface (the continental U.S.)

– But with less detail


ArcMap

• Use ArcMap to – explore and edit geographic data – perform analysis– create professional-quality maps,

graphs, and reports

• When you work in ArcMap, you work with a map document file, which has the .mxd file extension.


ArcMap

• ArcMap interface consists of – Table of contents– The map display area– A number of toolbars and

menus for working with the map and its data.

• The order of layers within the table of contents is important; – the layers at the top of the

table of contents draw on top of the layers below them.

– Therefore, you should put the layers that form the background of your map, such as the ocean, at the bottom of the table of contents.


ArcMap

• There are two views for working with data– data view– layout view.

• In data view, you – explore– edit– query– analyze– symbolize data.

• In data view, you can view only one data frame at a time.


ArcMap

• Layout view– arrange data frames – add other map elements

• scale bars• titles• legends

• Create a map layout that can be published in print or digital form.

• In layout view, you can view multiple data frames.


ArcCatalog

• Designed for browsing, managing, and documenting geographic data.

• A window into your GIS database. • From ArcCatalog you can access data

stored on your computer's hard drives, local networks, and even the Internet.

• To access data, you create a connection to its location– Collectively, the connections you create are

called the Catalog.


ArcCatalog

• The ArcCatalog interface consists of – Catalog tree on the

left and – Preview pane on the

right.

• You use the Catalog tree to navigate and browse data.


ArcCatalog

• Preview pane view – Contents of a folder– Geography (feature

shapes)– Attributes stored

with individual datasets

– Metadata


Arc Catalog

• ArcCatalog and ArcMap work together.– You can find and preview data in

ArcCatalog– Then drag and drop the data into

ArcMap to work with it.


ArcToolbox

• Provides an organized collection of tools used for – GIS analysis– Data management– Data conversion

• Accessible from both ArcMap and ArcCatalog.

• The number of tools you have depends on your ArcGIS license: – ArcView supports a core set of GIS

tools– ArcEditor adds more– ArcInfo provides the most

comprehensive set of tools


Metadata

• “Data about data”• Information that

describes, or documents, a geographic dataset

• Real world example of unofficial metadata – Can be found almost

everywhere– Handwriting on the

back of a photograph


Metadata

• Standardized metadata– Type of metadata used to describe data

used in a GIS– Official

• Government organizations create rules for standardizing metadata– Federal Geographic Data Committee • Organization for U.S.


Metadata

• GIS metadata typically includes – information about why the data was

collected (its purpose)– what geographic area the data covers (its

geographic extent)– who collected the data– when the data was collected– what processes were performed on the

data– who should be contacted for more details

about the data


Metadata

• You create and edit metadata in ArcCatalog.

• ArcCatalog automatically derives and documents some data properties, such as the geographic extent.

• Other properties, such as when and how the data was collected, must be documented by the data creator.


Metadata

• ArcCatalog provides different style sheets for viewing metadata.

• The FGDC ESRI style sheet consists of three tabs: – Description– Spatial– Attributes


Description Tab

• Displays – Thumbnail graphic

of the data – Keywords– Abstract – Purpose statement

• (not shown here).

– Publication information


Spatial Tab

• Displays the coordinates that define the data's geographic extent.


Attributes Tab

• Where you find information about each attribute stored with a dataset.

• Clicking an attribute name displays specific information about that attribute– such as its definition and

data type


Metadata

• Members of the GIS community like to share data and methods.

• Metadata is critical for sharing data—people who are thinking about using a dataset for a project first view its metadata in order to determine whether the dataset is appropriate for the project.

• If a dataset lacks metadata, it may be used inappropriately—and any analysis results or measurements made with the data may be inaccurate.


ArcGIS Desktop Help

• Provides comprehensive explanations of – Procedures– Tools– Buttons– Commands

• Access it from multiple locations within ArcMap and ArcCatalog

• Context-sensitive Help– Click a tool or button and get information

about it right there


ArcGIS Desktop Help

• Four tabs that provide different ways of accessing information


Exercise

• Calculate Tornado Damage


Using GIS to Solve Problems

• Solving problems relies on good decision making. – Good decision making relies on accurate information. – In the real world, people make decisions, not

computers. – Computers help people make decisions by providing

useful and accurate information. • A GIS is a computer-based tool that helps us

visualize information and see patterns and relationships that aren't otherwise apparent.

• The ability to ask complex questions about data and analyze many features at once, then instantly see the results on a map makes GIS a powerful tool for creating information.


GIS: A Tool to Solve Everyday Problems

• Your alarm goes off at 6:00 a.m. You get up and turn on the lights.– Electric utility companies use GIS to manage their

complex infrastructure, which consists of transmission and distribution lines and utility poles.

• You make a pot of coffee.– The water the coffee is made with is provided by a

water utility company.– The utility uses GIS for customer service,

emergency response, water distribution, infrastructure maintenance, automated mapping, network tracing, flow analysis, and other aspects of engineering, operations, administration, and finance.



• You stop at the gas station on your way to work.– Oil companies use GIS for exploration, operation and

maintenance, production, land lease management, and data management.

– Before the oil becomes gasoline, pipelines move it from the oil fields to the processing plant.

– The pipeline industry uses GIS for route planning and construction, operations, and supply market analysis.

• You drive to work.– The community uses GIS for managing its

transportation infrastructure. – More than 80 percent of the information used to

manage road, rail, and port facilities has a geographic component.



• It's the day before a holiday weekend. You leave at noon and go to the beach.– GIS is used to help manage coastal resources,

including shoreline, aquatic, and terrestrial habitats and biological resources, and the distribution of threatened and endangered species.

• You enjoy a picnic lunch.– A GIS can produce maps that show farmers

how to treat a given field, allowing for precise applications of fertilizer that produce optimal crop yields while protecting the environment.



• On the way home, you stop at a video store.– The store is at that particular location because GIS

helped define the right store mix for the location's potential customers.

– GIS integrates strategic sales volume models and demographic data to help businesses find suitable sites.

• When you leave the video store, your car is still in the parking lot, right where you left it.– GIS is being used to reduce crime. – The vast majority of information used in law

enforcement is map-based. Incidents can be displayed by beat, reporting district, or zone and law enforcement resources can be deployed in the areas where they're needed most.



• After a long day, you arrive home safe and sound. GIS has been there nearly every step of the way, helping make life more comfortable and safe.

• Remember that GIS stands for geographic information system.

• It's geography that makes GIS such a useful tool for solving problems.


Using Location to Get Information

• All features can be related to other features based on their locations.

• Spatial relationships – Relationships based on location

• Spatial relationships provide a basis for making decisions and solving many problems.

• Getting answers to questions that are based on spatial relationships is the reason people use a GIS.

• Because a GIS stores feature coordinate locations, it can quickly find and select features that meet some spatial criteria.


Spatial Relationships

• A GIS answers questions based on spatial relationships by selecting features on the map. – The map allows people to visualize information

at a glance and detect patterns that aren't obvious in a written report or on a graph.

• There are four basic types of spatial relationships– Distance– Containment– Intersection– Adjacency.


Distance

• Points within a given distance of the red point are selected.

• Which cities are located within 25 kilometers of a river?


Containment

• Points contained by the red polygon are selected.

• Which countries contain a lake completely within their borders?


Intersection

• Lines that intersect the red line are selected.

• Which countries have a river that intersects their border?


Adjacency

• Polygons adjacent to the red polygon are selected.

• Which countries share a border with Russia?


Using Location to Get Information

• Questions that can be answered using feature spatial relationships are: – How many houses are less than 1 mile

from the airport? –Which parcels are contained by the

contamination plume? –Which bridges intersect the fault line? –Which land uses are adjacent to the

proposed subdivision?


A GIS performs 6 fundamental operations

• Capture data– Add data from many sources to a GIS– Or create your own data from scratch

• Store data– Can store and manage information about

the real world in ways that make sense for your application

• Query data– Ask complex questions about features

based on their attributes or their location and get quick results


A GIS performs 6 fundamental operations

• Analyze data– Integrate multiple datasets to find features

that meet specific criteria and create information useful for problem solving.

• Display data– Display features based on their attributes

• Present data– Create and distribute high-quality maps,

graphs, and reports to present your analysis results in a compelling way to your audience.


Geographic Inquiry Process

• Provides necessary framework for solving problems with GIS

• Consists of five steps


Geographic Inquiry Process

• Process can be iterative– Depending on the

type of problem

• Last step of the process – Leads to more

geographic questions

– The whole process begins again


Exercise

• Find potential sites for a youth center


Key Points to Remember

• A GIS organizes and stores information about the world as a collection of thematic layers. – Each layer contains features with the same shape and

attributes, all located within a common geographic area. • Each feature is assigned a unique numerical identifier

and is characterized by a unique location in space and a corresponding record in a table.

• Features can be stored in a GIS as three primary shapes: points, lines, or polygons.

• Features have spatial relationships with other features, and with a GIS you can find features based on their spatial relationships.

• The geographic inquiry process provides a framework for solving problems with GIS.


Review Questions

1. How is a GIS map different from a static map?

2. What is one way you can get information about a feature using ArcGIS Desktop software?

3. What are the primary operations that a GIS can perform that make it a useful tool for solving problems?

4. What are the five steps in the geographic inquiry process?


Review Answers

1. The dynamic nature of a GIS map makes it different from a static map. In a GIS, map features are linked to a database of information. You can pan, zoom, get information about features, control feature display, and change how they're symbolized.

2. You can use the Identify tool to click a map feature and see its attributes. You can also open the attribute table to view a feature record.

3. A GIS can capture, store, query, analyze, display, and present data.

4. The five steps in the geographic inquiry process are: 1) ask a geographic question, 2) acquire geographic data, 3) explore geographic data, 4) analyze geographic information, and 5) act on geographic knowledge.

Documents

West Hills College Farm of the Future ESRI ArcGIS